EMD Millipore Announces Innovative Cartridge Collection and Recycling Program: ech2o™

EMD Millipore, the Life Science division of Merck KGaA of Germany, today announced it has launched ech2o – the first collection and recycling program for EMD Millipore laboratory water purification consumables. Developed in cooperation with Heritage Environmental Services, the ech2o program allows U.S. users of EMD Millipore lab water purification systems to return exhausted cartridges for dismantling.

The program builds on the environmental sustainability advances already in place at EMD Millipore, and will have a positive effect on the environment. Environmental impact will be reduced by 10-12% for the overall cartridge life cycles, depending on the type of purification cartridge.

“As the largest supplier of point-of-use laboratory water systems, we have a responsibility to our customers, and to our industry, to lead the way in environmental stewardship,” said Renaud Bardon, EMD Millipore Head of Lab Water Sales and Service for North America. “We believe this program will make EMD Millipore a more desirable business partner, while continuing to advance the company’s sustainability strategy. A distinguishing aspect of the ech2o program is that the entire process is traceable and certified,” he explained. “There are other sustainability programs available today, but few are authentic and traceable. EMD Millipore and Heritage Environmental Services have a long-standing commitment to quality, and it was important to both companies to offer a truly traceable and certified collection and recycling solution.”

“Traceability is the underlying principle of the program,” added Stéphane Mabic, Merck Millipore Application Manager and Sustainability Initiative Project Manager. “It begins with user identification via the EMD Millipore website, increases with barcode identification of the cartridge during transport, and continues right up to the auditable Heritage waste management site where cartridges are recycled. To complete the traceability aspect, we also had a third party specialized in life cycle assessment (LCA) perform a full LCA of the cartridges. Information regarding the cartridge LCAs and the assessment method is available on our website in the ISO® 14021 self-certification section,” he concluded.

A streamlined web-based process makes it easy for users to return cartridges, and the program has been adapted for small- and large-volume users.